Do you honestly believe that he would cheat all of you of your
money and not spend the money? Were you expecting him to stash it
away in a corner and keep it, to just leave it be?
Anyway, the punishment the crook would receive would depend on the
final classification of the case, wouldn't it?
If it is indeed cheating, then there are a few types of cheating
defined by the law:
i) Simple Cheating, sec 415 cap 224 (Penal Code):
Whoever, by deceiving any person, fraudulently or dishonestly
induces the person so deceived to deliver any property to any
person, or to consent that any person shall retain any property, or
intentionally induces the person so deceived to do or omit to do
anything which he would not do or omit if he were not so deceived,
and which act or omission causes or is likely to cause damage or
harm to that person in body, mind, reputation or property, is said
to cheat.
Punishment for cheating: Whoever cheats shall be punished with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine,
or with both.
ii) Cheating by personation, sec 416 cap 224 (Penal Code):
A person is said to cheat by personation, if he cheats by
pretending to be some other person, or by knowingly substituting
one person for another, or representing that he or any other person
is a person other than he or such other person really is.
Punishment for cheating by personation: Whoever cheats by
personation shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which
may extend to 3 years, or with fine, or with both.
there's also cheating desptite knowingly that one would cause a
person whom he is bound to protect to suffer a wrongful loss, sec
419 cap 224, as well cheating and dishonestly inducing a delivery
of property, sec 420 cap 224 respectively.
But my purpose here is not to provide a law lecture. I just wish to
emphasize that the punishment rendered out to the offender will
depend no the classification of the case, among other things. Other
factors also play a part.
Sometimes it's not worth it for the coppers too: to go through so
much trouble cracking a case and the punishment the offender gets
is rather... well, it isn't proportionate with the effort put
in.
But the punishment is always dished out in accordance with the
law.
